Automatic mechanical door opening and closing mechanism



April 1960 E. P. MATHERNE 2,931,643

AUTOMATIC MECHANICAL DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING MECHANISM Filed May 28, 1957 Q 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 g k M i 50F (a O N W 9 Fig./

E mi/e P. Mather/1e INVEN TOR.

April 5, 1960 E. P. MA THERNE AUTOMATIC MECHANICAL DQOR OPENING AND CLOSING MECHANISM Filed May 28, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Emile P. Mafherne INVENTOR.

Apnl 5, 1960 E. P. MATHERNE 2,931,643

AUTOMATIC MECHANICAL DOOR OPENING 'AND CLOSING MECHANISM Filed May 28, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

S t m M m Nb m k Qh\ k wk 93 NQ v9 vb AUTOMATIC. MECHANICAL noon OPENING AND CLQSING MECHANISM to a'point beyond that which was mentioned aboveand also, for the purpose of closing the garage door in're- .sporis'e to a second treadle actuation. i

I amawareof prior door opening and closing devices whichareactuated by parts engaged with a motor vehicle, for example parts-which engagewith the undercarriage or bumper of' t-hemotor' vehicle to energize motorswhich are arranged to open or close a garage door. Radio and other electronicfassemblies-'have' been constructed forlthe "same purpose. My invention differs from the others by being wholly andentirelya mechanical. organization which relies on the weight of the-mater vehicle from which to derive force to open andclose the doors. There; fore, his a further object of'theinvention to provide a wholly mechanical organization for opening and closing an overhead door, there being a unique system-bfforce division whereby a small travel of a -tread'le*but'under I Patented Apr. -5, 1960 It is appreciated that these actuating cables may be attached to pulleys, sheaves, small .drums, etc. on the shafts, however, for convenience of illustration and discussion,

and for this reason alone, the first'and second actuating.

cables are said tobeidirectly on the shafts. When the opening and closing cables are wrapped in the-same di- 1 rection (clockwise or counterclockwise) .on the first and second drums that are fixed to the first andsecond' shafts, the' first and second actuating cables will have to "be wrapped in 'opp'ositedirections. By this is meant the first cable, for example, is-wrapped in'a clockwise} direction .on the'first shaft and the second cable iswrappedin a counterclockwise direction on the secondsha ft.

Then, when the first and. second actuating cables'a're'; pulled simultaneously and equal distances,- the first and'second shafts will be rotated equally and in opposite directions thereby paying out and winding the two opening and closing cables that are attached to the door. But the actuating cables are of such 'length that they are unwound completely from the first and second shafts when the overhead door has reached approximately the point at which the door mechanism completesthe opening for the closing cycle. Since the force pulling the actuation cables is applied rather suddenly when an automobile rides on the treadle, and since the door is liftedor lowered with resistance (weight of the door) until the balance point is reached at which the door mechanism completes the cycle of either closing or opening, the drums and the first and second shafts to which the drums are fixedbe come released of pulling force and the door opens or closes at arate greater thanthe rate of rotation imparted bythe first andsecond actuation, cables. This means that the two drums and the shafts' on which the drum's'are fixed will attain an overriding conditionwhen the first and second actuation-cables reach the 'endsof a great force, for example that applied bytwo wheels of afourwheeled-automobile, is transferred to a largetravel but at a correspondingly reduced 'for-ce'value' My arrangement is such that the treadle moves approximately one-half inch. Since present day' motor vehicles weigh approximately 4,000 pounds, there are roughly-1,000 inch pounds of work available by having a pair ofthe wheels of the motor vehicle'rolFover the treadle. A- thousand I w inch pounds are more thanfadequate to lift ordinary over-' head swinging doors or tolow er,the'same;-without the I aid of hydraulic or electrical systems] 1 A more specificobject of the invention is to-provide an overhead door with mechanical means which initiate the opening and closing cyclesby havingl'opening and closing cables, ropes, etc. attached to the 'door at the upper edge thereof and entrained over guides, preferably pulleys, that are attached respectively to thedoor and the structure' surrounding the dooig these opening and closing cables being wrapped around first and second operating drums. When the'cables are wrapped in the same direction around the two drums, the drums will have to be operated in opposite directions.- But,*'if the opening and closing cables were reversely wrappedthat is,'one cable wrapped clockwise around its drum and the other cable wrapped counterclockwise around its' drum, then thedrums would have to be operated inv the same direction so as to cause one of the'cables to be payed out while the other is being woun'don its drum. j

i I consider ,an important and";unique featureof my invention to be the first and second actuating cables which are attachedfto the shaftson which the drums arefix'ed.

to rotate in the same direction andthis willcause the first and second actuation cables to rewind on*the'shafts and in an opposite direction. Where, for example, the first actuation cable on the firstshaft was wrapped in a clockwise direction, it will rewind on that'first shaftbut in acounterclockwise direction. Therefore, the'system automatically resets. A subsequent pulling of the actuation cables, as by the wheels of the motor vehicle riding over the treadle, willc'ause the drums on which the opening and: closing cables are attached, to be rotated in the opposite directions. If there were an opening cycle to begin with, the secondactuation of the treadle would go' through a closing cycle for the door.

'Another feature of the invention'is in the. manner of locking the actuation cables so thateither cycle that. is, the opening or the closing cycle is capable of being prevented by operation of a look within the enclosure with which the overhead door is connected.

Other objects and features, will become apparent in following the description of the illustrated form of the invention. I

' Figure'l is a longitudinal sectional view of a garage having an overhead door and a treadle operated door opener and closer in accordance with the invention, the door being shown in a closed position; 7

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the structural organization of Figure 1 but showing a motor vehicle set of wheels on the treadle and the door in the position;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the opener and closer in accordance with the invention;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of theupper edge of the door showing the connection of the door closing and the 'door opening cables with the doorand guides for the cables; i k

mounted for rotation within the ground box.

Figure is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 0 Figure 4; V

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view of the treadle taken 'on the line 66 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a sectional view of a unit adapted to be installed in the enclosure whose door is adapted to be opened and closed and showing the structural organization by which various cables are guided and controlled and also showing a lock for each of the actuation cables in the invention; v

Figure 8 is: an enlarged fragmentary sectional view first cable extends and is secured to the operating plunger 90 of latch 92. Latch 92 is the type which has the plunger pulled to open the latch and which has a spring in it automatically projecting the bolt of the latch so that the latch is normally in the door closing position. Keeper 941's permanently attached to the building above the upper edge of the door so that when the door is in the closed position (Figure 1) it is automatically latched.

taken on the line 88 of Figure7 and'showing the means to lock one of the cables in a selected position;

Figure 9 is a sectional view similar to that of Figure 8 i the overhead door 16 is disposed. This door is of ordi- Closing cable 84 is entrained over a fixed guide such as pulley 96, and is secured at its end to the bracket 98 on the upper part of door 16. Pulley 96 is attached to the ceiling or some other part of the building structure above the upper edge of door 16.

v The first or opening cable 82 is securred to and wrapped around a first drum 100, the latter being secured to the first shaft 102. This shaft is mounted for rotation in bearings 104 and 106 that are carried by the back wall'108 of the casing 110. The casing is installed on nary construction and is of the type which is adapted to be manually lifted to open the same and manually pulled down to close the same. The manual lifting of the door is required only to a var-lance point at which springs 18 coacting with levers 20 pull the door open to the remainder of the opening cycle. The same situation prevails in closing'the door. An initial pull is required to slide the guides of the door'is rails 22 that are mounted overhead. But, beyonda point of equilibrium the remainder of the closing cycle is achieved by springs such as at 18. Guides, for example wheels 24 are arranged in the usual pattern. The wheels are pivoted wheels to start the door in its proper direction.

Treadle 12 has depending brackets 26 and '28 which are pivoted to the outer ends of levers 30 and 32, respectively. These levers are mounted for oscillation on pivot I pins 34 and 36 which establish a fulcrum for each lever. Adjustablestops, as machine screws 38 and 40, are-carried by the levers 30 and'32 and are contacted by treadle 12 at the bottom of the downward movement of the The inner confronting ends of levers 30 and treadle. 32 have cables 42 and 44, ropes or a substitute attached thereto, these being wrapped around spindle 46 that has drum 48 fixed to it. Bearing carrying standards 50 and 52 on the bottom 54 of ground box 56, have spindle 46 A single elongated member, for example, cable 58, is attached to and wrapped around drum 48 to extend througha conduit 60, the latter proceeding from an opening in the side wall of ground box 56 to an opening 62 in the floor '64 of the building which, in the illustrated instance, is

whose lower ends are attached to branches 68 and 66 and whose upper ends are attached to actuation cables 78 and 80 respectively. These actuation cables are also designated as the first and second cables respectively of a definite length in respect to the system that will be described subsequently.

Door 16 has the first opening cable 82 secured to it and a second or closing cable 84 also secured to it, both of these cables being near the upper edge of door 16. The first or opening cable 82 is entrained around a guide in the formof pulley 88 which is attached to the inner surface of door 16 near the upper edge thereof. Then this the back wall or adjacent to the back wall of the building 14 and above opening 62; The first actuation cable 78 is wrapped around shaft 102 and in the position shown in Figure 3, the wrappings or windings on drum 100 and on shaft 102 are in the opposite direction. The second or closing cable 84 is attached to and wrapped around drum 1 14, and this is fixed to second shaft 116. Shaft 116 is mounted for rotation in bearings 118 and 106, these being attached to the back wall 108 of casing 110. Second actuation cable 80 is wound on shaft 116 but in a direction opposite to the windings of first actuation cable 78 on the first shaft 102. The windings, under the; circumstances described, of drums 100 and 114 are inthe samedirection. A small slack take-up weight 126 is attached by a rope 128 to shaft 116, being wound thereon for the sole purpose of taking up excess slackin the cables during a partof the cycle of operation,

When thedoor 16 is opened, comparison of Figures 1 and 2 will show that the opening cable 82 is vwound on first drum 100, but the closing or second cable 84 must be payed out because itis wrapped over the upper edge of door 16. Therefore, drum 114 mustoperate in the "direction opposite to the actuation of drum 100. This is achieved by having opposite windings on shafts 102 cables 78 or.80 in a selected position, that is so that the door will notiopen or will not close. These means are shown 'as being a pair of keyhole slots 134 and 136 in the partition 138that extends across the walls of housing and through which actuation cables 78 and 80 pass. Balls 140 and 142 or some other enlargements such as nuts, are formed in or on the cables 78 and 80 and areof such a size as to pass through the enlarged parts of the keyhole slots 134 and 136 but are incapable of passinggthrough the narrower parts of the keyhole slots. Shiftinglevers 144 and 146 are passed through openings in the front wall. 148 of housing 110 and have-sleeves 150 and 152 at their inner ends which seat upon the upper surface of the partition 138. These sleeves have the first and second actuation cables 78 and 80 passed through their bores so that when the actuating handles 144 and 146 are shifted, the cables 78 and 80 are also shifted. By manual manipulation the cables may be moved into the narrower parts of the keyhole slots 134 and Y136 so that the-enlargements engage. one of the surfaces of partition 138 and prevent movement of thecable or cables.

The operation of the door opener and closer together 5 1- with the function of counterweight 160 is considered in relation to a typical motor vehicle 10. Two wheels of the motor vehicle approach the garage and ride on treadle 12. By virtue of the structure within ground box 56, cable 58 is pulled thereby exerting a pulling force onto the actuation cables 78 and 80 through the intermediate springs 74 and 76. With the invention set as in Figure 3, cables 78 and 80 will cause the shafts 102 and 116 to rotate rapidly in opposite directions. The rapidity of rotation is due to the quick exertion of force in cables 78 and 80 due to the abruptness with which the treadle is operated when the vehicle wheels ride on it. Drums 100 and 114 being set swiftly in motion cause the opening cable 82 to be wound and the closing cable 84 to be unwound and payed out. The door 16 is correspondingly opened to the point of balance with its spring 188 or analogous mechanism. The springs 18 then cooperate with weight 160 that is on cable 162 and attached to shaft 102, to finish opening the door 16. At approximately the balance point of door 16 with its springs 18, actuation cables 78 and 80 are payed completely from their shafts 102 and 116. However, since the drums and shafts are rotating rapidly and the counterweight 160 and spring mechanisms of the door 16 tend to keep these shafts and the drums thereon in a rotating condition in the same direction, cables 78'and 80 are rewound on shafts 102 and 116 but in the opposite directions. This resets the door opener and closer so that another treadle actuation will cause the cables 78 and 80 to actuate the opening and closing cables in the opposite directions and thereby cause the door 16 to be closed. The closing cycle is the same as the opening cycle, however, the door is pulled in the closed position rather than to the open position. Weight 160 moves up and down as it is pulled and/or allowed to move by cables 78 and 82. Cable 78 pulls down with weight 160 on the first half of the opening cycle. Cable 78 pulls weight 160 up on the first half of the closing cycle. On the second half of the closing cycle, the momentum of the closing door energizes cable 82 which rotates drum 100 in a counterclockwise direction thus continuing the pulling of weight 160 attached to cable 162; the torque ratio is in favor of cable 82 over cable 162. Weight 160 will try to retard the closing of the door, thus keeping the door from slamming too harshly. The smaller weight 126 will aid in the closing operation.

The latches for the door are automatically operated every time that the opening and closing cycles are commenced. The manually operable latches for the first and second control actuation cables 78 and 80 are actuated from the interior of the garage or other buildmg. i

In addition, a rope or cable 170 is attached to latch operator 90 and is secured to a small pulley 172 on the inner end of a door knob shaft. The door knob is on the exterior of door 16 so that the door may be unlatched from the exterior. A standard tumbler or other key controlled lock may be associated with the door knob 174.

It is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a building structure having a door opening, the combination of an overhead door mounted in said door opening and having a mechanism to complete the opening movement of the door when the door is lifted beyond a predetermined point, a door opener and closer assembly comprising an opening cable attached to said door, a closing cable attached to said door, a first shaft and a second shaft rotatably mounted in said building structure, a first drum attached to said first shaft and having said opening cable connected thereto, a second drum attached to said second shaft and having said closing cable attached thereto, a first shaft actuation cable wound in one direction on said first shaft, a sec ond actuation cable wound in the opposite direction on said second shaft, and means to simultaneously pull bothbles being of a length to be completely. extended when the door is approximately at said predetermined point and being oppositely wound on said'shafts' in response to continued rotation of said shafts in the same directions thereby resetting said shafts so that further operation of said acuation cable pulling means will initiate another cycle of operation wherein said drums are each rotated in the opposite direction.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 together with means operatively connected to said actuation cables for locking said actuation cables selectively against movement in either direction.

3. The combination of an overhead door movable between ultimate open and closed positions through an intermediate position of balance, actuating means for moving said door from either of its ultimate positions to the intermediate position, and automatic means for moving the door from the intermediate position to an ultimate position upon initiating actuation by said actuating means, said actuating means including a treadle depressible through a relatively short distance, and means operatively connecting said treadle to said door for translating and multiplying the movement of said treadle by a factor sufficient to produce a movement of the door from either of its ultimate positions to said intermediate position only.

4. The combination of an overhead door movable between ultimate open and closed positions through an intermediate position of balance, actuating means for moving said door from either of its ultimate positions to the intermediate position, and automatic means for moving the door from the intermediate position to an ultimate position upon initiating actuation by said actuating means, said actuating means including a control element operatively connected to said door and movable in opposite directions from an intermediate position to opposite ultimate positions corresponding to the respective intermediate and ultimate positions of the door, whereby to eflect automatic-re-setting of said actuating means.

5. The combination of a building structure having a doorway, an overhead door mounted in said doorway for movement between ultimate open and closed positions through an intermediate position of balance, actuating means for moving said door from either of its ultimate positions to the intermediate position, and automatic means for moving the door from the intermediate position to an ultimate position upon initiating actuation by said actuating means, said actuating means comprising a shaft rotatably mounted in said building structure for turning movement in opposite directions from an intermediate position to opposite ultimate positions corresponding to the respective intermediate and ultimate positions of said door, cable means windable around said shaft and operatively connected to the door whereby the door may be moved by rotation of said shaft and whereby the shaft may be rotated by movement of the door, and means for rotating said shaft from either of its ultimate positions to the intermediate position.

6. The device as defined in claim 5 wherein said last mentioned means for rotating said shaft include second cable means wound around the shaft in one direction when the shaft is in either of its ultimate positions, and means for unwinding said second cable means from said shaft to a point when the second cable means are fully unwound and the shaft is in its intermediate position, said second cable means being windable on said shaftin an opposite direction during rotation of the shaft to its opposite ultimate position by said automatic means, whereby to effect automatic resetting of said actuating means.

7. The device as defined in claim 6 wherein said means for unwinding said second cable means include a depres sible treadle disposed exteriorly of said building structure 7 in alignment with said doorway and having said second cable means operatively conneeted thereto.

' References Cited in the file of: this patent UNITEDQSTATES PATENTS 5 1,740,020 Johnson Dec. 17, 1929 8 Edwards Sept. 22, 1936 Karns May '11, 1943 Boyd Dec. 9, 1952 Bacque Nov. 23, 1954 Demosthenes Jan. 24, 1956 

